Soccer-New United States boss Pochettino asks for time after Mexico defeat

(Reuters) - New United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino asked for time to evaluate his players and settle into his new surroundings after his side slumped to a 2-0 loss against Mexico in a friendly match on Tuesday.

While the former Chelsea boss started off his stint with the U.S. with a 2-0 home win over Panama in a friendly last weekend, his side was short on firepower, with Christian Pulisic, Ricardo Pepi and Weston McKennie among those who did not make the trip to Mexico and instead returned to their club sides.

The Argentine, who left Chelsea in May after one season in charge, has been tasked with leading the U.S. at the 2026 World Cup on home soil, co-hosted by Mexico and Canada.

"We all feel disappointed because I think we didn't have all the players that we wanted to have when we started," Pochettino told reporters. "We lost some players for different reasons, and we arrived a little bit short here.

"I say thank you to the players (who were here) because they were amazing, professional and the behaviour was amazing... We wanted to win. I think we need to be positive about this type of game.

"We need to play more games like this to improve the knowledge that we have. Give us time, let us evaluate all the players, have them, know them, and from there I will give you a better opinion about what is much more fundamental than what I see."

(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Ros Russell)